We are looking forward to a new kind of annual gathering this summer, which also has a new name. We will gather in Indianapolis at Mara Christian Church of America, Indiana on June 7-8 for Summer Fest 2024. Register today before registration closes on May 30.

June 9 has been named as “Conference Sunday” for 2024. We chose this as a way of building off of the experience that we will have together at Summer Fest on June 7-8. We have created a resource page (similar to the leader material) and recorded a sermon for you to use that Sunday. We invite you to use these as you see fit. You may choose to use it all or just some of it. You may also choose to do it on an alternative Sunday if your congregation already has significant plans for that Sunday. However you do use it, we hope and pray that it will be a blessing to your congregation.

Download the Worship Resources

Recorded Sermon

In the week following Summer Fest, IMMC will be focusing on you: the faithful members of IMMC! While most of our income comes directly from congregations, we do not take for granted the amazing gift that our individual donors give us in the form of their time, talents, and treasures. weGive is our donor group that helps to sustain the work and ministry of IMMC and we want to invite you to join. There will be special prompts and offers that week of ways that you can be a part of weGive. Watch your inbox for more info June 10-14!

• Youth and young adult delegates who will join Summer Fest in June! Inviting youth to join us and giving them voice as they interact with the church and practice leadership in new ways will change us and them. Thanks be to God!  
• The ministry of conference co-minister Sharon Yoder. Sharon loves walking with congregational leaders, pastors, and pastoral applicants, listening together to how God’s Spirit is guiding during leadership transitions and pastoral searches. Resourcing them as the process unfolds, working with the Ministry Credentialing Team in the credentialing process, and joining congregations for installation services as pastors begin new roles make for many holy moments. Sharon also gives administrative oversight at the office and works with the Stewardship Team to provide financial oversight for IMMC.

• Joanne preached at Kern Road on April 21.
• Sharon will visit congregational leaders at Maple River, Grand Marais, and Wildwood May 17–19. She’ll also preach at Wildwood Sunday morning and will host leaders from all 3 congregations for a meal on Sunday evening.   
• Sharon joined other MC USA conference ministers in a monthly zoom meeting on May 14.
• Joanne continues to meet monthly with pastor clusters along with doing Intercultural Development Inventory debriefs with IMMC team members.

• Search guides are currently walking with pastoral searches at Benton, First Mennonite, and North Goshen. We’re grateful for the IMMC presence and resourcing that Becky Horst, Suella Gerber, Richard Kauffman, and John Kaufman bring to these search committee meetings.
• Grant Miller ended his ministry at Kalamazoo Mennonite Fellowship on May 12, after 3½ years of ministry there.
• In the past year, Sharon joined the Ministry Credentialing Team in the holy work of repentance and reparation with several pastors who had been harmed by IMMC credentialing processes over the years. In recent weeks, we met with these pastors to offer further repair. One of the persons we met with was Karl Shelly, to apologize for the harm caused when IMMC gave Karl a statement of charge in 2014 for his officiating at a same-sex ceremony. Because the charge was enacted so publicly, we are also making our apology public with Karl’s blessing. See the full letter here.
• LET is looking at creating a system for IMMC congregations to have “sister churches” within the conference. Ideally these would be congregations that different demographic makeups. Sister churches could engage in Bible study, pulpit exchange, or events.

As you can see, our giving is trailing behind our expenses so far this year. This is due to increased costs of travel and wages paid to staff to provide the services that IMMC offers to congregations. Would you consider making a personal contribution to help fill in the gap? Visit our weGive page to learn more about giving options.

Joanne Gallardo, Co-Conference Minister, draws our attention to Mental Health Awareness Month in her Five Things Friday Roundup for May.

Shalom Counseling & Mediation Center is seeking a new Executive Director (ED) who provides visionary leadership and strategic direction to this highly regarded nonprofit organization.

Shalom Counseling & Mediation Center has three locations in Northwest Ohio (Archbold, Bryan, and Wauseon) and has a mission for providing Christ-centered, results-oriented, professional counseling and mediation to people in the region. Their licensed and credentialed staff provide comprehensive services to meet a variety of needs including general and specialty services to a range of individuals and groups.

The ED will be a collaborator, team builder, good listener, and an open communicator with an inspirational leadership approach who will be comfortable meeting and developing relationships with a variety of stakeholder groups. The ideal candidate embodies a diversity focused, inclusive approach to engagement with others and exhibits high emotional intelligence.

Learn more and apply here.